Strong Against Your Tears
by Animagus1
Summary: um...its a story from the masque onwards, only I changed stuff.
1. Default Chapter

#DISCLAIMER: Umm...let me see, I don't own anything except the scenes I made up.  
  
A/N: My God, I can't believe this is only the third or fourth Ever After fan fic. Its such a great film, don't you think? But I guess you wouldn't be reading this fic if you weren't fans. Unless you were just looking for things to be mean about. Which would be odd. But anyway, nobody wants to hear my insane ramblings! On with the story...  
  
  
Danielle ran towards her home. Rain poured down, soaking her dress and hair. The raindrops mingled with the tears running down her cheeks.  
  
Lost in her private world of misery and despair, she sank to the ground. She bent her head to her knees and wept. She cried for herself, but most of all she cried for Henry. The way he had looked hurt, betrayed and...lost, when her step mother had told him the truth. She thought of his parting words to her. Just like them. She supposed she was. He had thought she was diferent, but the way her step mother had portrayed her she was more like Marguerite than Marguerite. He must think I lied because I wanted his crown, she thought. I would love him even if he was the poorest man in France.  
  
For a few minutes more she let herself be carried away by a torrent of emotion. Eventually she sighed softly and rose to her feet. She knocked softly at the door of her home. No one came. She knocked again, louder this time. She heard footsteps approaching the door. Louise cautiously opened the door a crack, and peered. When she saw that it was Danielle, she gasped and opened the door wide. She half turned and called for Paulette. She turned back to Danielle and grasped her in a comforting embrace.  
  
With some difficulty Louise and Paulette managed to get the soaked girl inside the house and sitting down. Paulette went to the kitchens to get Danielle a drink. Louise gently asked her what had happened. She got no answers. Danielle simply sat there, staring at the wall in silence.  
  
Hours later, the baroness, Marguerite and Jacqueline came in. The baroness seemed to be drunk. Jacqueline seemed to be happier than she had been in months. Marguerite was just...Marguerite.  
  
"Hello Danielle." the baroness slurred. "Did you have a nice evening?" With that both Marguerite and Rodmilla dissolved into helpless laughter.  
"Mother!" Jacqueline cried. "I do think thats cruel of you!"  
"So?" Rodmilla said. "Who's going to stop me? The prince?" Both her and Marguerite laughed again.  
During this exchange Danielle hadn't moved a muscle. Until Henry was mentioned. She stood up from her seat, and slowly left the room. Behind her she could hear Marguerite and her step mother talking and laughing.  
  
As she made her way to where she slept, she heard hasty footsteps behind her.  
"Please wait!" she heard Jacqueline call. Danielle stopped and waited for her step sister to catch up.   
"What do you want?" she asked flatly.  
"Just to say...to say that I'm sorry." Jacqueline said quickly. "For the way Mother and Marguerite treated you at the masque and what they just said to you. It was wrong of them."  
Danielle smiled weakly. "Thank you," she whispered.  
  
Back at the palace everyone was immersed in wedding preparations, Except three people. Henry, Leonardo and Marie.  
Henry spent his days locked inside his chambers. He wouldn't eat, nor see anyone except his mother and Leonardo.  
He didn't tell anyone, but when Leonardo had left Danielle's glass slipper on the battlements in the storm, he had kept it. He had wiped it dry and placed it in an elaborate box. Late at night he would take it out and think of a lost love.  
He hadn't been able to sleep since the ball and Danielle's or rather Baroness de Ghent's revelations. His mother had given him numerous potions and drinks to help but he had discarded them. He didn't want to sleep. He was scared of what he would dream.  
-Marie was worried about her son. Henry wouldn't talk about what had happened at the masque so she said nothing and instead tried to distract him with tales of the courtiers. She and Leonardo had discussed many times about what to do about the matter. Leonardo's advice was to drop the subject and wait for him to talk about it. She wasn't quite sure that she believed the baroness about Danielle. The girl didn't carry herself like a servant, and certainly didn't speak or dress like one. What was her name again? Oh yes..de Barbarac. Where have I heard that before? Oh, of course! Auguste de Barbarac married the Baroness. Then he died suddenly. So if Danielle's father was Auguste that means that the Baroness is her step mother! So Danielle has to be a servant in her own home! Should I tell Henry?  
  
Leonardo listened carefully to the Queen as she told him of Danielle's father. "So she isn't a servant then..." he mused. "Or rather, she is, but shouldn't be."  
"Should we tell him?" Marie asked the wise old man. "I think he deserves to know." Leonardo nodded his agreement.  
"I think it would be best coming from you," he said.   
  
Marie hesitantly knocked on the door of Henry's chambers. There was no answer. Fearing he had run away again, she gently pushed open the door and entered. She smiled when she saw him. Exhausted, he had fallen asleep at his desk, with his head on his arms. She noticed something in his hand as she softly walked towards him. It was a shoe. Marie looked at it closely. It's made out of glass...she thought. She sighed as she realized where she had seen it before. He still loves her. She called his name softly and he awakened quickly. He seemed disorientated.   
"Mother?" he asked.  
"Yes, Henry, it's me. What a remarkable shoe. May I have a closer look?"  
Henry reddened as he silently passed the shoe over. Marie marveled at the craftmanship. This is no peasant shoe. Just look at the stitching! She handed it back to her son. "Henry, I must tell you something," she said softly, sitting on the edge of his fourposter. "Its about...its about Danielle de Barbarac."  
Henry turned sullenly away. "I don't want to hear it," he said flatly. Marie sighed and stood up. "I just thought that you might like to know that she is the Baroness's step daughter, not a servant." With that, she left his room and shut the door behind her.  
  
Henry's mind was whirling. She is the Baroness's step daughter!! She also lied to you,remember? he thought bitterly. And besides the wedding to what's her name can't be cancelled now. But...I miss her.  
  
Danielle was bent over some plants in the small garden, when she felt a prickling on the back of her neck. She spun around to see Marguerite watching her. "I suppose you know that Prince Henry is marrying Princess Gabriella. Looks like you are stuck with him, after all." Marguerite laughed cruelly.  
Danielle had no time for Marguerite and Rodmilla's stupid intrigues. "Stuck with who?" she asked bluntly.  
"Why, don't you know? He's waiting around the front of the house for you, why don't go and see him? I won't tell." Marguerite said with cloying sweetness. Danielle rose to her feet and walked to the front of the house. There was a carriage parked outside the door,and people were unloading things from it. As she moved closer she saw Pierre le Peau. So it was him that had all Papa's things!  
"Ah, Danielle, you are here at last. Well she's all yours, monsieur." Rodmilla bid Pierre adieu and went back into the house.   
"What did she mean, I'm all yours?" Danielle asked Pierre innocently.  
"She means, dearest Danielle, that she has sold you to me." Pierre waved a hand and instantly Danielle's arms were grabbed and she was pushed into the carriage.  
"Noooo!!!" she screamed. "No!"  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Revelations

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything except the plot line.  
A/N: This is the next part of my Let You Go series. Please read and review. Please? Oh, and I apologise now for any spelling mistakes etc, etc. I also aplogise for the fact that this part is pretty weak. I'm not good at middle parts!  
  
  
The day of Henry's marriage to Gabriella dawned clear and warm. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky when Henry's servant came in to wake him.  
  
After a long leisurely breakfast with his mother, Henry returned to his chambers. Laid out was his wedding attire. There were many servants ready to help him with the preparations, but he sent them away. He didn't need anyone anymore.  
  
Eventually he had finished dressing and was about to leave his chambers. At the door he suddenly stopped. He glanced back at the carved wooden chest which he had placed Danielle's slipper in. On an impulse he slipped it into a large bag he hid behind his long and elaborate cloak. Its for luck, he told himself.  
  
Standing at the church altar, waiting for his bride, Henry glimpsed Marguerite and Rodmilla de Ghent. They were wearing black veils and seemed to be sobbing. He looked away from them, they had associations with thoughts he didn't want to think. He looked at his parents instead. His mother smiled slightly, and Henry smiled back. He turned as he heard muffled sobbing behind him. At first he thought that one of the de Ghent witches had lost control of themselves, but his heart sank as he realized that it was Princess Gabriella of Spain. Looks like she doesn't want to marry me either then he thought wryly.  
  
Henry sighed as he knelt before the priest. Gabriella hadn't stopped crying since she had arrived, and he was getting the beginnings of a headache. Suddenly he saw the humour in the situation and he started to laugh. He stood up, pulled Gabriella to her feet and sent her to the man she really wanted to be with. He unclasped hs cloak, and letting it fall to the floor, strode out of the church. He wasn't entirely sure where he was going, but then he passed the Baroness's carriage and he decided.  
"Where is she?" the prince asked the servant with the carriage.  
"The Baroness?" the old man replied. Irritated, Henry tried to keep his calm. "Nic- Danielle." he said.  
"But she has been sold, sire."  
"Sold? To whom?" Henry asked, devastated. He had images of Danielle being sold to Cartier, or someone equally as bad.  
"To Pierre le Pieu, your highness," Jacqueline interrupted. "It was just after the masque. Mother didn't want her around. She thought that if you..." she broke off, flushing.  
"Speak of this to no one," Henry commanded. "Come, Laurent."  
Jacqueline watched Captain Laurent ride off with the prince. She liked Laurent. Very much. She hoped the prince was going to see Danielle. She was heartbroken, Jacqueline knew.  
  
The prince, Laurent and a few others thundered towards Pierre le Pieu's residence.  
Henry was driven by the thought of Danielle being in trouble. He had no idea of what he was going to say to her when he saw her again, but he knew one thing. That Leonardo was right. She was his match, and he would die for her.  
  
  
  



	3. Abandoned

A/N: OK, so here it is at last!! The third (but not the final) part of my Ever After fic. By the way, in this chapter, Danielle is a weak, stereotypical DID (Damsel In Distress). Sorry!  
  
DISCLAIMER: BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.  
  
Pierre le Pieu pulled Danielle closer to him. She recoiled as she felt the heat of his breath on her cheek.  
"I have it on very good authority that Prince Henry is riding towards my castle with his men right at this very moment," Pierre told her. Danielle's heart leapt at the thought. Maybe, just maybe, he's come to rescue me...Her spirits sank as Pierre spoke again. "And unless you want his royal blood spilt, I suggest you make yourself scarce. Are we clear?"  
Danielle nodded mutely. Surely he will search the castle, if he has come to help me. He will find me.  
  
Shortly after, one of le Pieu's servants scurried in. "The prince is approaching the castle, milord."   
Pierre nodded and waved a hand languidly.  
"Follow me," he commanded. Danielle followed him up a dark, narrow staircase. There was a tiny room at the top. Pierre forced her into it and locked the door behind him. Danielle shivered slightly as the coldness of the room hit her bare arms. She looked around her. In the corners were masses of cobwebs and a scuttling noise revealed the fact that there was either mice or rats in the small room with her. She didn't particularly mind.  
  
Danielle stiffened as she heard voices directly below her. She was directly above the courtyard and could hear every word that was being spoken. After some muffled hoofbeats, she heard Henry's voice, strong and clear.  
"Where is she, le Pieu?"  
"Where is who, sire?" Pierre enquired, faking ignorance.  
"You know very well who. Danielle,"the prince stated. "I know she was sold to you by the Baroness de Ghent."  
"Oh," Pierre exclaimed. "You mean Danielle de Barbarac."  
"Yes," Henry spat. "I do. Where is she?"  
"I'm afraid, your highness, that I have sold her to Christophe de Saillies. She was too...wilful."  
  
Danielle's heart skipped a beat. Surely Henry wouldn't believe that lying toad! She was right.  
"I'm afraid, Monsieur le Pieu, that I doubt your word."  
Pierre sounded resigned. "Then please feel free to search the castle. If that is the only way I can prove my honesty and loyalty to the crown, so be it."  
  
Danielle could hear a trample of footsteps as the men entered the building. She could hear shouting as they searched the rooms. But no one came up the staircase.  
  
"Help! she yelled, but her voice was drowned out. It occurred to her that there might be a window. She felt along the wall until the fingers brushed against a small opening, through which cool air was blowing. She bent down and could just see Henry riding away with his men. A single tear rolled down her cheek. 


	4. Distant Place

DISCLAIMER: None of the characters you recognise belong to me!! Obviously, cuz otherwise I wouldn't be writing fanfiction - I'd be rich!! LOL!!  
  
A/N: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed this!! I didn't think that many people would actually read this, but I've been proved wrong!! And once again, sorry for not updating more regularly!! I really will try better this time, I promise! Plus I've been writing this fic for AGES and I really do want to get it finished! So I'll concentrate on this for a while! ( Reviews are, as always, appreciated!! So hit that review button!  
  
  
  
Henry reined his horse in and stared around the courtyard in puzzlement. A castle he size of Pierre le Pieu's would surely have people around all of the time - a guardsman, a servant, anyone. Instead a solitary raven croaked on the wall and Henry glanced at it briefly before dismounting from his horse. He walked over to the heavy door of the castle and brought the cast iron knocker down on it, hard. No one came. Henry tried again. After a few minutes he gave up and went back to his horse. As he swung himself up into the saddle he heard a quavering voice. "Your Highness?"  
  
Henry turned to see an old man, gaunt and dressed in rags. His hands were near blue, and trembling in the fierce, chill wind. "Are you searching for Monsieur le Pieu, your Highness?" Henry nodded. "Yes," he said. "Do you know where he is?" "Yes," the old man whispered, the words being whipped away by the wind even as he said them. "He went away late last night. He took his guards with him.and the girl." "A girl?" Henry said, his voice rising in agitation. "Are you sure? What did she look like?" "I - I'm not sure what she looked like, your Highness. Forgive me, it was late and my eyes ain't what they used to be." "Do you know where they went? Do not lie, the punishment will be most severe if you do." Henry put on the voice he used to deal with the ladies of the court when they were irritating him. It seemed to work on the old man. Henry felt a moment of pity for him, but soon brushed it away. Danielle was more important. "I'm not sure, your Highness, but I heard two of the other servants talking about how Monsieur le Pieu had ordered them to prepare clothing suitable for a British climate. The girl, whoever she was, didn't want to go, that's for sure. She wouldn't get on the horse at first, but then the Monsieur leant towards her and said something. She got on pretty quick after that," the old man paused, and then added on "Your Highness," almost as an afterthought.  
  
Henry's heart sunk. Britain! It would take even longer to find Danielle now, and he bowed his head briefly. "Thank you," he said to the old man. "If you come to the palace I will instruct them to find you a place there, in return for your kindness. I doubt le Pieu's credentials as an employer." "Thank you, your Highness, thank you!" the old man cried to Henry's retreating back. He watched the Prince leave with his men, and raised his hand in farewell. No one saw.  
  
As Henry rode back to the palace his thoughts turned to what he was going to do next. He determined to talk to his father as soon as he returned, get together some men at arms, and head straight for the nearest port.  
  
Danielle felt suffocated in the tiny room that she was in. The rolling of the ocean beneath her feet had thrown her off balance and she had to keep a hand on the wall to steady herself. She had absolutely no idea where they were going, she only knew that le Pieu had woken her in the night and told her to get dressed for a voyage. They had arrived in the port in the early hours of the morning and immediately boarded a ship and set sail. Then le Pieu had locked her in this tiny room.  
  
Danielle could hear shouting coming from beyond the locked door, although she couldn't decipher the words. A key turned in the lock. The door swung open. Danielle could make out the face of one of le Pieu's guards silhouetted against the light flooding into the room. She forced herself to stand straight and not to sway with the ship's rocking. It was easier than she had expected and she realised that the ship was no longer moving, or at least they were in calmer waters. "Where are we?" she asked the guard, not expecting him to reply. She was surprised when he did. "In England. Dover to be precise. Le Pieu wishes to see you up on the deck." The man came further into the room and Danielle could now see him clearly. He was younger than she had expected - he must only have been around twenty-five - and had messy light brown hair. He didn't look like the sort of person to work for le Pieu, but then he probably hadn't had much of a choice in the matter, Danielle thought wryly. "What is your name?" Danielle thought that she might as well try to get acquainted with the people she would be around in the time to come. Allies would always be useful. "Mine is Danielle." "I know. Everyone knows," the man said quietly. "About you.and the Prince and your stepmother."  
  
Danielle glanced up at the man's face. His expression was hard to read. She thought it might be pity. She stared down at her hands, willing back the tears. He must have sensed that Rodmilla and Henry were not people she wished to discuss. "I'm sorry - and my name is William." He stepped aside, motioning for her to go through the door to the corridor beyond. Danielle stopped. There were two branches to the corridor. "Which way is it?" she asked faintly. "Oh. Sorry. It's straight ahead."  
  
Danielle nodded, and with her head held high, started walking. 


End file.
